Eric and Nicole: The Greatest Gift
by Stelena-Beautiful
Summary: Christmas in Salem: "Ericole"-style. Some angst starts off the tale but a truly happy ending for our pair is in sight. This will be exactly 5 chapters.


**Eric and Nicole: The Greatest Gift**

_**The greatest gift of all is the miracle of forgiveness…**_

**Chapter 1**

_**Three Days until Christmas**_

_He didn't know why he had agreed to come here tonight._

He spotted his twin sister across the way, holding Sydney in her arms and he remembered. Oh yes, Sami. She could be so damn persuasive. She hadn't been willing to take "no" for an answer when she showed up at his hotel room, demanding he come to the tree lighting ceremony at Horton Square. Eric had tried fervently to beg off but Sami had not given him some much as an inch of wiggle room. She'd even helped pick out his outfit – a light but warm black jacket, denim jeans and a pair of snow boots. Snow was expected in Salem any moment, after all.

Sami spotted him standing at the back of the crowd, hands shoved deep in his pockets. She waved to him but he couldn't muster a wave in return. She offered him a bright smile one that seemed to say _"it can't be that bad" _but Eric knew better. It was worse than bad. Much worse. He had not only lost his vocation, something that he had once felt born to do, but he had lost Nicole's friendship too boot. She barely spoke to him now. She in fact went out of her way to avoid him. He remembered the bitter words they had exchanged – every single one; how he'd lashed out again and again at her for every real and imagined wrong. Her asking to interview him for the newscast had been the final dent in their coffin. He had told her off in spectacular fashion and she had been shunning him ever since – and rightfully so.

"Speaking of Nicole," he whispered to himself as he spotted Nicole zip into the crowd with none other than her roommate, Daniel. She had her hand tucked into the crook of his arm and they were looking at each other with smiles that sent waves of revulsion through Eric. Dammit. Was she with Daniel now? Were they an item or just sleeping together? And if so, why did it bother him so much?

Nicole seemed to sense his gaze fall on her and looked over at him. For a moment their eyes locked and held and then she quickly looked away. She pushed Daniel through the crowd until it enveloped them. Eric sighed. Now all he could see of her was the top of her impossibly blonde head.

He turned away and spotted his mother walking over to him. He wanted to hurry away from her. She had started most of this crap in motion in his mind, but he stood his ground. She closed the distance between them and Eric feigned being really intent on watching Abe Carver at the podium rhapsodizing on the wonders of the holiday season. Once Eric would have agreed with Abe. Just a month ago, in fact but his faith, his joy, his _everything_ really, had been shattered.

"Eric, it's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Marlena said by way of greeting.

"Oh yeah," Eric said in a bitter voice. "The most beautiful." He was full of bitterness and anger. No matter how he tried to shake it, he couldn't and this being the Christmas season made it all the worse. He had fallen down in every way and he couldn't stop thinking about how he was supposed to have led mass again this year at the church but likely never would again. The church has defrocked him and he wasn't getting his collar back anytime soon. He was disturbed by that fact but more disturbed – if he were honest with himself - by Nicole being so cozy with Daniel Jonas. The thought actually _haunted_ him.

"Eric, it's the Christmas season. I know you've lost a lot but don't close yourself off to love and joy. Please."

"What love? What joy?" he muttered as he crossed his arms. "All that was stolen from me. Maybe I didn't deserve any of those things anyway."

"Eric, don't say that. You're a good man, you know that you are. Losing the priesthood was devastating, yes. What Kristen did to you was horrible, yes. I'll never forgive or forget any of that either, but you haven't lost your family. You haven't lost your friends."

Eric shook his head as his eyes fell on Nicole once again through the crowd. He _had_ lost his friends. Or more accurately, he had lost the best friend he'd ever had. The one woman who had ever made him feel complete.

"Eric," Marlena said in an urging voice. "Don't give up, alright? Don't give up."

Eric didn't know how to reply. He didn't trust himself to even speak. He turned pointedly back to face the front of the crowd. Abe had just plugged in the giant tree and the lights zipped up it - bright, colorful and mocking. Eric closed his eyes even as everyone else assembled there began to_ ooh_ and _aww_ and even clap. He might have enjoyed this stuff before but he didn't anymore.

XoXoXo

Nicole watched the lights flick on in the huge tree in Horton Square and heard the thunder of applause around her. The choir the town had put together began to burst into song. They were singing "Silver Bells" as they held tapered candles. Nicole watched them closely, not daring to look backwards. That's what she was doing. Not looking backward anymore, hoping for things that could never be.

She thought this even as tears filmed her eyes. This was one of the worst Christmases – if not the worst – that she could remember and she had sure endured a lot of miserable holidays. When did she get to be happy? Was she such a bad person that she didn't deserve to be that way?

A single tear zipped down her cheek and she went to dash it away but Daniel saw it. She offered him a weak smile. "The music … it's beautiful."

Daniel nodded and slipped an arm around her tiny waist, pulling her close. He held her tightly but fortunately, he didn't look at her with pity. More like understanding. This year hadn't exactly been magical for him either. He'd lost the woman he loved and almost lost his job at the hospital too.

More cheers resulted as the choir finished up with a chorus of "Faith of Our Fathers". Nicole wouldn't let herself cry this time even as the music touched some part of her icy heart.

Caroline Brady announced at the podium that everyone was welcome to come to The Brady Pub for hot cider and yummy cookies. People began to disperse and Daniel looked over at Nicole. "Are we going to that thing?" Daniel asked.

Nicole sighed. "I don't know. I just am not in the holiday, partying spirit."

"Me either and Jennifer will be there and –"

"She doesn't deserve you, Daniel. Just so you know." Nicole's eyes floated to Eric as if by their own volition. He had his back to her now and was conversing with his twin sister and her kids.

"Eric doesn't deserve you either," Daniel said, following her gaze.

Nicole turned back to Daniel. "It's not the same thing though. Eric and I have been over for years and years now. Almost fifteen years… " She sighed. "You and Jennifer were together until the whole Theresa mess flared up."

"I know," Daniel said. "But we have one thing in common. We loved them."

Nicole nodded as she felt more tears burning the back of her eyes. "And they didn't love us. At least not the way we deserved."

Daniel nodded. He reached for her glove-covered hands. "Look, I have an idea."

"I'm afraid to ask…"

"We should go to the Pub. We will have a great time and show we're okay, we're fine. Even if it kills us."

"It just might," Nicole said. "But maybe you're right. We can show them that we're more than okay without them."

Daniel smiled. "Exactly what I was thinking."

Nicole nodded and forced a smile to her face. "Does that look authentic?"

"It will do."

"Fake it till you make it, right?" Nicole said. That was the resolution she had for herself. She would fake cheer and happiness until god willing she actually felt it.

Daniel offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Nicole smiled, a little more naturally this time. "We shall."

XoXoXo

Eric tried to listen to Allie as she chattered on incessantly about how excited she was for Santa Claus to come in a few days. Eric really did try his best to listen and look attentive but his eyes were riveted to Nicole as she hooked her arm through Daniel's and they walked almost jauntily out of the Square. He fumed inwardly, feeling somehow that their happiness mocked him.

Sami looked at Eric and shook her head. "Let her go, Eric," Sami said.

Eric shrugged. "I hurt her."

"And she hurt you – again and again. Don't forget she tried to take advantage of you to get a big scoop for her evening news broadcast." Sami shook her head and whispered "bitch" under her breath, low enough that Eric could hear but that the kids couldn't.

Eric just shook his head in return. Then he said, "I'm heading back to my hotel room. I'll see you all later."

He started to walk away but Sami was grabbing him by the coat that she had made him wear. "Oh no you don't! We're all going to the Pub and we're going to have a good time. You can't just dessert us now, Eric. Especially when you_ need_ us."

"Uncle Eric," Allie said, tugging on his jacket now. "You have to come to the holiday party. It won't be the same without you. Please, please come."

"Yes, Eric, _please,"_ Sami said fluttering her eyelashes at him and offering him a faux-saintly, pleading look.

"I don't think –" Eric started but Sami shook her head.

"Don't think. That's the problem_. Just do_. Come with us and forget all about Nicole okay?"

Easier said than done, Eric thought but finally nodded. "Fine. I'll come but just long enough for a cup of cider and some of Grandma's awesome oatmeal cookies and then I'm leaving."

"Fine, fine," Sami said as the kids hollered happily. Allie and Johnny grabbed Eric's hands and yanked him forward.

XoXoXo

Nicole and Daniel walked into the pub, practicing their brightest smiles. For a moment, the room seemed to quiet noticeably as they walked in. And why not? They were basically social pariahs now. But as long as no one called them out openly, they were going to stay and do up this holiday right.

They practically glided in the door as "White Christmas" played from the speakers overhead. "Fake it until we make it," Nicole said softly.

Daniel nodded. "Yes." Just then he spotted Jennifer weaving through the crowd towards them. "Wait."

Nicole rolled her eyes. "You deal with _that mess_ while I scare up some cookies for us."

Daniel nodded and Nicole waded through the crowd of happy holiday gatherers. The room was full to bursting. Certainly the fire code was being violated here; there were that many people. Nicole took the long way around the room, pushing past some random couple who were smooching under the mistletoe, looking super happy. Genuinely happy.

_She hated them._

She mouthed "get a room" to them but of course they were too busy swapping spit to notice her.

Nicole made it to the dessert table and grabbed two plates, beginning to load them up. If she and Daniel were going to be alone, who cared if they got really fat?

"Slow down on those, Nicole," Kate Roberts mocked her as she walked by her. "That butt of yours is big enough."

Nicole glared at Kate as she scampered away to harangue someone about something or other, the way she always did. "Bitch," Nicole muttered. She sighed and started absently-mindedly reaching for an oatmeal cookie to add to the plate when she felt a warm body slide in next to her. Even after all these years, she knew that body and it was both as familiar and welcoming as it always was.

"Nicole," Eric said. Nicole shook her head and grabbed two oatmeal cookies, one for her and one for Daniel. She then started to back away from the table, refusing to look at him.

"Nicole, wait," Eric said. "Can we talk?"

Nicole looked at him finally, giving him a stern look. "Actually I can't. Daniel is waiting for me so if you'll excuse me –"

Eric bristled. "Well Daniel seems awfully cozy over there with Jennifer Horton. Are you sure he's actually waiting for you?"

Nicole wanted to smack him but she resisted. Instead she plastered on a smile. "I am sure that he's just telling her to get lost once and for all."

"Maybe … Him bringing you though, instead of his son…?"

"That's not any of your business, now is it?" Nicole said. "But if you must know, Parker has a cold and so he stayed home with his Grandma Maggie. Which is just as well I guess so that Daniel and I can get reacquainted." Nicole saw Eric's eyes narrow and she felt almost giddy that she was pissing him off. "Of course we get reacquainted all the time in our little apartment in the sky…."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Eric asked.

Nicole offered him a taunting smile. "Does it matter? Just stay away from me, Eric." She then grabbed two napkins and weaved back through the crowd towards Daniel. Jennifer saw her coming and gave her a haughty glare before turning and walking off.

Nicole passed a plate to Daniel. He looked at her and offered her a smile that was a little sad. "Not a good conversation with the ex?" Nicole asked.

"No. How about yours with your ex?"

"Smashing. But I may have let him think that you and I are sharing a bed again every night."

Daniel smirked. "You didn't."

Nicole nibbled on a cookie. "I kind of did."

Daniel reached for her plate then and set it down on the nearest table. "Hey, I was eating that!"

"Eating can wait. For now, I think we should cut the rug."

"What?"

"Festive music is playing. Let's show our exes we don't need them anymore. Let's dance and –"

"Flaunt our non-relationship in their faces?"

"They don't know it's a_ non_-relationship, Nikki."

"Good point," Nicole said and this time she was really smiling. She watched Daniel put down his own plate of cookies and she grabbed his hand. "Let's dance indeed."

They moved out into the middle of the room and began to dance in tandem. They felt everyone's' eyes on them, including Eric and Jennifer's, and they both felt happy.

XoXoXo

"I can't believe Nicole and Daniel," Sami said as she moved over to Eric who's eyes were riveted to the duo dancing wildly in the center of the Pub. They were still going strong. They'd danced every Christmas song so far and seemed not to be in a hurry to break apart.

"I can't," Eric admitted.

"What a damn spectacle they're making of themselves," Sami huffed. "Just don't let them get to you okay? Nicole is just being her passive aggressive bitch self." Sami squeezed his arm and melded back into the crowd, headed for their mother.

Eric sighed as he watched Daniel pull Nicole close as Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" played on the stereo. Eric immediately looked around for the exit but they were all blocked. He was standing near the bar now and that's when he noticed it was unattended; that two bottles of beer sat on the counter.

Before he could over think it, he grabbed for both of the bottles and moved towards the kitchen.


End file.
